Stop and Stare
by ladys3194
Summary: Kim Chetco has always been the Invisible One.Even though she was the center of her parent's world and had friends she was always invisible to Jared.But Kim still dreamed of the day when Jared would just stop and stare.R&R!I have big plans for this story!
1. The Invisible One

** Stop and Stare **

** Chapter One: The Invisible One**

Moving to La Push in seventh grade from the Makah Reservation was probably the best and worse thing that had ever happened to Kim Chetco. The bad things being she had to leave all her friends and family that lived there and once she got to La Push she met him; Jared Hudson.

The best things being she got to start over in a new place and make new friends and try new things and…she met him; Jared Hudson. Yes, meeting him was probably the best and worse thing that had ever happened to her.

She has always had this sense that they were meant to be together and she gets all those tingly feelings every time he comes around and she is absolutely, positively in love with him. This would all be great and dandy…if he actually acknowledged her presence.

But, no, he has more important things to wonder about than Kimberly Chetco, a.k.a. the invisible one. Well, only to him it seems. Even his best friend Paul knows her by name and sight, it also helps that he hasn't stopped picking on her since she moved to La Push, either.

She hates Paul with a fiery passion and knows Jared could do a whole lot better at picking his best friend, not like she would tell him that though. Or tell him anything else for that matter.

But she should probably also thank Paul for his rudeness seeing as though that led her to meet Jared.

Her first day at La Push Middle School, Paul Tutuni made her life a living hell by tripping her in front of the whole lunch room, only for her to be caught by his very un-expecting, best friend, Jared.

All Jared did though was settle her back on her feet, not even looking at her, and telling Paul that picking on girls wasn't fair or right. This led to Paul calling him a wuss and Jared rolling his eyes and turning back into the lunch line.

Kim was certain this was a sign that they were meant to be together, she was absolutely positive. Not like any of her friends thought. They all thought that it was a hopeless dream and that she should move on and date someone who actually noticed her.

She had, had offers from a couple guys but she always refused, telling them that she just wasn't ready to date. This of course was a lie seeing as though she knew that if Jared Hudson had ever asked her out she would say yes without another thought.

Then she would probably turn around and wonder if it was all some kind of sick joke that Paul talked him into playing or throw up…or both.

She could almost picture him just turning in his seat that was next to hers in English, and just stopping and starring at her until she finally looked over, their eyes meeting in an intense gaze.

That's when her timer decided to go off. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Kim opened her eyes to another cloudy day in La Push. She, for a minute, wondered if she was ever going to see the sun again, but then her thoughts turned back to the wonderful Jared-filled dream she had just left.

Not two minutes after she crawled out of bed she heard her mom shouting, "Kimmy are you up yet? Breakfast is ready! Come down and eat!" It was funny; her mom's thought of breakfast is a bowl of cereal and an apple.

"I would say thank you for all the hard work you had to do for my breakfast, but seeing as though the hardest thing was pouring the cereal, I think you'll understand my wavering gratitude."

Her mother just smiled and rolled her eyes, "Oh, no honey, the hardest part was pouring the milk!" This made them both crack up laughing until her dad walked into the kitchen to see what the commotion was all about.

"How are my two best girls this morning?" He asked with his broad grin in place, her dad had always been a morning person.

"Tired." They both recited like every other morning and Kim went back to her breakfast. Kim loved her parents, they were nice and they didn't invade her space. They knew when and when not to comment on things and best of all they thought her crush on Jared was cute.

Not like she liked to be called cute in anyway, shape or form but it was better than them telling her it was a lost cause. But that was only probably because they thought she deserved everything in the world.

School had never been fun for Kim. Which probably would surprise most people seeing as though she got straight A's and has never had a lower grade point average than 3.9. But, still, either way she hated school almost as much as she hated Paul.

The only thing that kept her from begging her parents to home school her was Jared. He was in three out of her four classes; Spanish, World History, and English. The only one he wasn't in with her was Physical Education, this she was thankful for seeing as though she was, indeed, a total klutz with no coordination.

As she walked into Spanish early with her best friend, Abbie, she sat down opposite of her taking one of Abbie's headphones and placing it into her left ear.

_Your Song_, the Moulin Rouge version, surrounded them as they looked over their notes for today's test. Finally, the last bell rang, signaling Kim and Abbie to put away the iPod and get ready for the test.

Not two minutes after the test started, Jared and Paul ran into the room, _late as usual_, Kim thought to herself.

Taking their tests they sat down in their seats, which were coincidentally right behind Abbie and Kim's, still huffing and puffing from their long run.

"Kimbers!" Kim heard Paul whisper urgently. Oh, yeah, Paul had also taken to calling her Kimbers seeing as though on there eighth grade trip to the wild life sanctuary, a tree had fallen down right next to her. Everybody had yelled timber! And Paul just thought putting her name and timber together was the funniest thing in the world!

She turned around in her seat, glaring daggers at him, "What?!" she whispered back. "Do you have a pencil?" he questioned. "Yes." She answered diligently. He rolled his eyes exasperated, "Well can I borrow it?" She scrunched up her face in mock confusion, "I don't know, can you?"

She heard Jared coughing, trying to cover up his laugh but not doing a very good job of it. It made her smile widen knowing that he thought what she said was funny.

Paul huffed, glaring at Jared, who faked ignorance, "_May_ I borrow the pencil, _please._" She smiled satisfied, "Sure." Handing the pencil back to him.

After the bell rang, students shuffled out, heading to their next classes, and Kim couldn't help but be slower than usual. She was just so giddy with happiness. _She _had made Jared Hudson _smile_! _She_ had made Jared Hudson _laugh_!

Sure, he didn't look at her and confess his undying love for her, but it was a start! "Kim!" Her friend, Kat, came running up to her. "Yes?" She asked a goofy smile still in place.

Kat raised her eyebrows, "Somebody's happy. What did Jared cough on you or something?" she teased. Kim playfully glared at her, "No! He laughed at a comment I made to Paul." "About what?" Kat asked fully enthralled now. "A pencil."

Kat's face scrunched up in confusion but she stayed silent. After a moment of individual thought, Kat shrugged and smirked, "Whatever floats your boat, Kimmy Dear."

Lunch was the same as always and after basketball today in gym, Kim was exhausted. She got tired easier than the others because she had a premature type of asthma that was too weak for an inhaler but strong enough to where it let her wheezing after too long an exercise.

Eating gave her more energy and helped the oxygen make its way through her cells and it also helped her become less dizzy from not getting enough air to her brain.

"Hey, Kim, I heard about the thing. Wink. Wink. Nudge. Nudge." Her friend, Alan said from across the lunch table. Kim looked up and saw him smirking and she smiled and rolled her eyes.

"It's not that big of a deal! It was just a little laugh." It was his turn to roll his eyes, "If that's all it was than why have you been practically floating everywhere today and that goofy smile hasn't left your face since Spanish? Huh?"

Kim blushed, "Okay, so it was sorta a big thing for me. But it doesn't need to be made revolutionary! It was just something that made him laugh and he's going to forget it by tomorrow."

"But will that smile leave you face by tomorrow?" Kim's blush got even deeper, "Probably not." She admitted, getting laughs from her entire table.

She always wished she had C lunch instead of A. Because having A lunch meant that she still had two classes left. She also loved them because she ended her day with Jared.

As Kim walked into World History she saw she was the first one there, like always, and went straight to her seat on the opposite side of the room. She loved how this class was set up; the desks were in rows on both sides of the room and they were facing each other. So when they got to pick seats in the beginning of the term, Kim made sure she sat right across the room from Jared, so even when she was staring at him it didn't look obvious or stalkerish.

Five minutes later her friend Mel walked into the room with her other friend Bailey; they all ate lunch together and usually walked to World History as a threesome but Mel and Bailey had to meet with their Science teacher before class today leaving Kim alone in the hallways with her thoughts.

The students had ten minute passing times between classes and Jared always showed up just before the bell rang, usually laughing with a friend or a girl that had followed him here like a faithful puppy dog; Jared, being one of the most wanted guys in school, was unusually nice and modest for a popular and he didn't treat girls like dirt.

Another great thing about him, he never really dated, he went out a few times with some very persistent girls but he never really went on more than one date with them, probably hoping they would leave him alone soon after. Kim smiled at that thought, she loved the fact that he didn't seem to take good looks into consideration.

She had always been told she was really pretty from her family members and friends, but it didn't stop her from comparing herself to the girls that Jared went out with, no matter how long he dated them or not.

Today was no different, Jared walked into the room three minutes before the bell rang, laughing at a joke one of his buddies just told him. Kim saw this and smiled, she wondered what had made him use his real laugh. Kim had noticed over the years that Jared had three different types of laughs: a nervous laugh when he hadn't heard what the teacher was saying and couldn't answer the question, his real laugh which was only used when he actually thought something was truly funny, and his fake laugh which he usually used with the bimbos who thought they were funny when they told him stupid jokes.

Class started and ended rather quickly as they were separated into groups early on and most of class was spent working in that specific group. Kim jumped out of her seat when she heard the bell ring excited for English as usual.

Not only did she absolutely love English class but she also sat next to Jared in this class and even though he stayed oblivious to her existence she had high hopes that one day he would turn and notice her staring and stare right back with a smile on his face.

Unfortunately that didn't happen today, just like it never happens every other day. But a girl can dream can't she? Kim was glad it was Friday, meaning that she could sleep in the next two days and spend time fantasizing the day that Jared Hudson might actually notice her, Kimberly Chetco.

But that wouldn't happen because for the next TWO WEEKS after that, Jared Hudson never showed his face, after the first week, Paul had also gone missing. Well, gone missing was probably an exaggeration but they had been gone for a long while. Rumor was that they just got really sick; pneumonia or something.

Some of the girls joke that in the locker rooms that Paul probably just has mono from one of his many conquests; Jared, however, they say is to much of a prude to get mono from any girl so pneumonia seems the more logical solution for him.

Kim didn't really want to go to school today. Today was Monday and it meant that she would have to go through another week without Jared Hudson.

Kim heaved a sigh and walked through the front door of school. Two things happened simultaneously; one, a bustle of rumors were going around La Push High School and two, Abbie was running up to her, excitement written all over her face.

"Kim! Jared and Paul are back! And oh my God they are GORGEOUS!" Kim rolled her eyes, "They've always been gorgeous Abbie." Abbie made a noise in the back of her throat, "Well, duh, but now they are even more gorgeous and more muscular, AND believe it or not Paul is actually not acting cocky about it AT ALL!!!!"

This got Kim to stop in her tracks straight away and raise her eyebrows, "Is that so? Well, I'll be damned! I can't wait for Spanish now!"

Abbie laughed and followed her quickly to their Spanish room, surprisingly not as early as they usually were.

Kim didn't know if it was possible to fall in love with someone twice when you were still in love with them for the first time. She didn't know if that made sense but her mind was not thinking reason at the moment.

Jared walked into the room with Paul by his side, early for once in their high school career, quietly and almost more graceful than he used to be. And WOW! Abbie was right! They did become more muscular and Paul wasn't sporting the cocky grin that never seemed to leave his face.

They both looked sort of tired and Kim reasoned that it was probably because they were out sick so long. Kim wondered for a moment if, like Paul, Jared had a new personality; a more _noticing_ personality. Kim sighed, _that was an impossible dream_.

As Jared and Paul walked towards their seats behind her and Abbie, Kim glanced down at her notebook so they wouldn't catch her staring like some obsessed stalker (double positive?)

Not two minutes before class started she heard Paul speak, "Hey, Kimbers can, I mean, _may_ I borrow a pencil." Kim groaned, _same old Paul!_

Kim turned around, using all her strength not to look at Jared, who at the moment was looking down towards his notebook anyway. "Paul I'm sorry to inform you that seeing as though you have a habit of not returning the pencils, pens, markers, etcetera that I borrow to you, I have no extra of any of the following to give to you."

Paul did his famous eye roll and glare combo, "You're such a dork, Kimbers. Don't you have a life?" He rudely replied.

With that comment, Jared hit Paul's shoulder roughly, "Don't be such an ass, Paul." Paul started shaking after that comment and Jared noticed, snapping his gaze towards him, "Paul. CALM. DOWN. Sam will have your hide if you _explode_ again." This seemed to lessen the shaking down, but Kim kept staring and once she noticed this again, she turned back around just as the final bell rang.

The day flew by quickly and Kim realized that Jared's physical change did not really change his personality other than the fact that he was quieter, more mysterious, and he didn't flirt or even talk to any of the ditz' that surrounded him (to this she was very, very pleased!).

But the point was he still didn't seem to notice her! She was still just Kim- the Invisible One. English was doomed to be just like any other day, where Kim sat right next to him, dreaming of their future in her head, and he sat there oblivious of her existence.

Jared came in a girl next to him, Stacie; Kim thought her name was, talking about football games, cheerleading, and just plain out girly girl junk. Kim laughed to herself when she saw him roll his eyes, defiantly not interested in anything the blond had to say. 

Stacie seemed to realize he wasn't interested when he started walking towards the teacher and she walked out of the room and towards her real class. Jared was taking the high road in all their classes and asking for the homework before class even started.

The teachers in every other of their classes just handed him the work and wrote down the dates of when they were due. But Mrs. Willow seemed to have another agenda in mind because once he asked she told him to "Go ask Kim." Kim's head shot up when she heard her name and saw Mrs. Willow pointing to her without even glancing away from her computer.

Jared's gaze shot in her direction but she looked down before he could look straight at her. "Okay, thank you ma'am." She heard him say in his new, deeper voice that she was quickly coming accustom to.

Kim felt Jared sit down next to her and set down his backpack beside him after taking out his materials, "Uh, Kim? Mrs. Willow said you could…" but he stopped talking in the middle of his sentence when Kim had enough guts to look up at him.

In that moment Kim finally got what she had always wanted…Jared Hudson had finally stopped and stared and Kim had a feeling this wasn't going to end anytime soon.

**A/N~ So what do you think? Should I continue? I have a lot of ideas for this story and I can't wait to get to the more interesting chapters! Please REVIEW and tell me what you think or if there is anything you want to see in this story!-ladys3194**


	2. Just Friends

**Stop and Stare**

**Chapter 2:**

Kim wondered why, for a moment, she ever wanted to be stared at by Jared. It was uncomfortable and gave her a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her face burn.

She got her answer to that question when Jared spoke up again, "_Kim_" in an almost caressing tone that sent shivers up and down her spine. He was looking at her in a way that was uncomfortable, yes, but it was also very, very pleasing. He was looking at her like she was the center of the universe, _his universe._ That idea made her shudder and that made Jared's look of intensity turn to a look of concern that could whip her parent's easily.

And her parent's never gave her the warm feeling in her stomach when she thought of them _kissing it better. WOW KIM! Slow down, honey! Get a hold of yourself!_ _When did her mind go so dirty?_ She blamed Anna, another friend of her's; she was always talking about the most unusual and sometimes uncomfortable stuff! To Anna it was always "It's either do or die!" "Speak to be heard!" "Live above the influence!" Wait, no, that last one was from those 'Above' commercials that were always talking about not doing drugs and junk!

Jared spoke to her which brought her out of her interesting thoughts. "Huh?" she didn't hear what he said which was out of the ordinary for her and she wondered how she could ever _not_ hear him. "I asked if you were cold. You shivered." "Uh..." _Come on KIM! SPEAK TO THE BOY OF YOUR DREAMS! COME ON YOU CAN DO IT!_

"Umm, no, I'm not cold." Jared's eyebrows scrunched in an adorable fashion, "Are you sure?" Kim coughed to find her voice, "Yes, I'm sure." Even to her, her voice sounded a bit squeaky and controlled; like some robot or something.

Kim shook her head, "Ummm…Mrs. Willow told you something?" Kim asked like she didn't overhear them at all. Jared looked confused again, "Huh? Oh! Right! She said that you could catch me up on all our English homework we've had for the past couple weeks. She said you were one of the best students in the class and would know just what to tell me."

"Ummm, sure, but class is about to start so…" She didn't know what she was going to say or if she was going to ask something; her mind was so scrambled up with Jared talking to her it didn't know how to comprehend ANYTHING!

Luckily for her Jared already had an idea in mind, "How about we meet after school, we could go to your house or mine if that's better. I'm not like inviting myself to your house or anything…or is after school bad….should we meet at lunch or…" Kim decided to herself that rambling Jared was extremely cute and she had to bite her lip to hold back the giggle she was sure was going to explode from her any second if either Jared didn't stop or she didn't cut him off.

She thought the latter was probably the most reliable answer, "Jared." Just one word and she had his quiet, undivided attention. Now, she was _really _liking this! "We can meet at my house after school. Just meet me in the parking lot after you gather whatever you need from you locker."

Jared's smile was beatific, "Great! That's great! We can do that!" Thank God the bell cut him off before he could start another rambling spree or Kim was sure she would have broke out laughing!

Throughout class, every time Kim did her routine glances at Jared, he was always staring back with a look of amazement and a smile when he noticed her eyes on him. Then Kim would blush and look down at her notebook or back up at Mrs. Willow.

And even though she could feel her eyes on him, she couldn't help but make those glances, it was just pure habit. And if it was possible, every time that she looked up Jared seemed to get happier and happier with each glance.

When class ended Kim felt a whoosh of air escape her lungs that she hadn't noticed she was holding in. But once she did she felt a lot more organized and focused than she did during class. _Maybe that was the reason I couldn't think straight._ Than Jared came into her view and her thoughts became befuddled once again. _Nope. It was Jared. _

Now she didn't know how she could be so stupid as to invite her crush over to her house! What was she thinking? It was a meant to be disaster! She won't be able to talk or she'll talk too much and say something stupid. And what if when her parents come home? _Oh, God, I think I'm going to be SICK!!!!_

"Hey, Kim, ready to go?" She heard Jared speak beside her. "Uh…yeah, let's go." She went around the car and got into her driver's seat, turning on the engine as she went. When Jared got into the car he seemed a little squished into her. Which was weird seeing as her Ford Truck was way too big for her. Yet she loved it with a passion and had been saving and begging for it practically since birth!

He seemed to fill up the whole seat and Kim all but moaned at the feel of Jared's warm shoulder touching her's. _Deep breaths, Kim. Deep breaths!_ She had to keep calm or she was sure to hyperventilate and then what would Jared think of her? _Probably see her as most of the school sees her; a freaky invisible nerd_.

That's probably all he thought of her _now_, a nerdy girl that will help him catch up in school; he'll use her than go back to ignoring her existence. But if that was the case than why did he give her that look? And why was it that, even now, she could feel his eyes on her wherever she went?

As they pulled into her driveway, Kim was most certain that she was starting to regret this…this momentary lapse of judgment. Who in their right mind would invite their crush of almost five years (A/N~ they're in 11th grade) to their HOUSE?

Obviously her, she was never in her right mind when it came to Jared, never before seventh grade did she ever have crushes or draw little hearts in her notebook that had initials in them, nor had she ever kept a diary until the moment she met Jared Hudson. Seriously, she actually started the diary at school in an empty notebook that she found in her backpack.

Her diary wasn't much of telling how her life was going as much as it was a collection of Jared moments and times and memories. Also the diary, which Kim preferred to call a journal, had stuff like 'Mrs. Jared Hudson', 'Jared and Kim 4ever', and 'J *hearts* K'.

It was juvenile and when she got into high school she swore she would stop writing stuff like that but after a two year long crush at the time, it had become a habit and she realized that she couldn't stop even if she wanted to.

Before she focused on what was happening, Kim was unlocking her front door and guiding Jared into the living room. Jared sat down next to her on the floor while she took out her books to get started. When she got them out she saw that Jared's books weren't out and that he was still staring at her like before.

"Uhhmmm, Jared?" She realized that when she said his name or anything to him, his face always seemed to brighten; like it was the best thing in the world just to have her look at him. "Yes, Kim." "Why aren't you taking out your books?"

She could tell by Jared's face that he was not only embarrassed but was expecting, or hoping, that she was going to say something entirely different. _But what could that be? What else would he expect me to say to him?_

"Uh…right…let's get started." He shoved the zipper on his backpack open so fast, Kim wondered if it was going to catch fire. The books were out and open in a second, with Jared looking up at her expectantly.

"Okay, then, well we started and finished talking about poems in the two weeks you were gone. Mrs. Willow told me that you would still have to make the poems we did up, but you won't have to present your last one to the class like we had to. With me so far?" Kim questioned Jared, seeing as though it looked like he was more concentrating on her than what she was saying.

"Uhuh, poems, writing, no presentations got it." Kim couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Yeah well I guess you got the basis of what I was saying. Now, here are the notes, just copy them down and then will get started on your assignments. Sound good?" She handed him her notebook to the first page of poem notes and he nodded with his wide smile still intact.

It seemed to take only minutes for Jared to write down two weeks worth of notes and Kim wondered if he really wrote them down at all. She took his notebook, and sure enough, in his neat, curvy handwriting was all the notes from the past TWO WEEKS! Kim must have looked really shocked because after a couple of minutes of staring at the notebook, Jared placed his hand on her shoulder, making her jump a little at the sudden heat, "Are you okay, Kim?"

"Yeah, of course, I just didn't expect you to write those down so quickly. I guess we can get started on the first type of poem, the Tanka. The Tanka is a type of poem where you have only five lines. The first and third composed of five syllables and the rest with seven syllables. Understand? Okay, we had to write our Tanka's on a type of weather. So how about you get started on that and I'll start my homework and you can just ask if you need any help, okay? " Jared smiled and nodded looking, with great concentration, at the blank piece of paper in front of him.

Kim was impressed when five minutes passed and he had yet to ask for her help in any way. But that soon ended when she looked towards his paper only to see his name and the date written in the top corner. "Jared?" His head snapped up in response, a wide smile over his face.

"Yes, Kim." There he goes again with the caressing tone. Kim shook her head to clear the daze, "Why haven't you written anything yet? It's been over five minutes." Jared cleared his throat and looked towards the paper, disappointment across his face, "Well uh I don't really know how to…start." "Why didn't you ask for my help then? I told you all you had to do was ask."

Jared seemed to be at a loss for words once she said that. "How about we start with a topic? What type of weather do you like the best?" Jared's face scrunched in concentration, "I like the snow. But sunshine is nice to, you get to hand out on the beach and go cliff diving then."

"Okay, hot weather then. You can even add the beach and cliff diving in the poem if possible."

His smile was beatific and I couldn't help but smile back, it was just an involuntary response. "So you probably want to start out with introducing your topic, which of course, is summer and then go on talking about the activities like cliff diving. Understand?"

He nodded excitedly and turned towards his paper and started writing. He was done with great speed and Kim was impressed that it actually sounded really good with how much trouble he seemed to be having before. "This is great! I just think you needed to brainstorm some ideas that's all. Mrs. Willow said that was all you needed to do for tomorrow, unless you want to get it all done tonight? Either that or you could come over tomorrow and we can work on some more of the poems."

"Sure tomorrow sounds great. After school again?" Kim nodded and turned to put her books away. Jared continued speaking, "Maybe we could sit by each other at lunch to, you know, get a head start on some of the other work."

Kim didn't know what to say. Jared was asking to sit by her at lunch to work on homework! HER! He even seemed excited about it!_ How can you say no to that?!_

"Um…if that's what you want, we can do that. Just meet me at my table once you get your food and we can go over some of the notes. Does that sound okay to you?"

"Great. Perfect. If you don't mind me sitting by you that is." Jared tumbled over his words. "No, not at all." At that last statement, the front door slammed; rocking her small house.

"Kimmy, I'm home! What would you like for dinner sweet potato?" Kim's head hit the table with a thud. "This is sooooo not the time for you to be cute now mom." She heard a chuckle next to her and assumed she must have said that last statement out loud.

Jared chuckled again, as Kim's face turned tomato red and she bit her bottom lip as hard as she could.

Her mom, not receiving an answer, walked into the living room and stopped suddenly in surprise. "Oh, Kimmy you didn't tell me we were having company." "It was a last minute kind of thing." Kim grinded out through her embarrassment.

Her mother didn't notice and continued talking, "Oh, well, I'm Anne Chetco. Kimmy's mom. Who are you?"

"Jared Hudson, ma'am. I'm a from Kim's English class." _And Spanish class and World History._ Kim thought to herself.

Her mother raised her eyebrows in surprise and amusement, "Oh?" _Please, don't say anything embarrassing. Please don't say anything embarrassing._ Kim tried to tell her mother though her thoughts in a mother-daughter empathy sort of way. "Yes, ma'am." She heard Jared speak again.

Her mother's smile was covering over half her face, "Well, would you like to stay for dinner, Jared?

"I wouldn't want to impose, Mrs. Chetco." "Oh, nonsense. Maybe you can actually bring some real conversation to our table. I'm quite tired of talking about the same things over and over again. Aren't you, Kimmy?"

Kim cleared her throat, "Yeah, sure, mom." She forced out a weak smile. "Great then. So will you, Jared?"

"That would be great, Mrs. Chetco. Thank you." Jared smiled and Kim's mom walked out.

Once her mom was out of earshot Kim spoke up, "Oh, God, Jared I'm SO sorry. My mom can be a tad bit eccentric."

"It's not a problem. But if you don't want me to stay…" "NO! I mean you were invited so you should stay." Jared turned serious, "Well, I know, but do _you_ want me to stay?" Kim took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah, I want you to stay." "Good."

There smiling silence was interrupted with a yell from the kitchen, "Jared, Kimmy what would you two like for dinner?" Kim let out a sigh, "My mom can't really cook, so maybe I should make dinner tonight." "Would you like some help?" "Can you cook?" "No, but I can try and help."

Kim chuckled, "Can't be any worse than my mom's cooking." "I heard that Kimmy!" With that Jared and Kim broke out laughing and walked towards the kitchen.

"So, Jared, do you work?" Kim's dad asked conversationally. "Um…in a way sir. I work with Sam Uley and the elders." Kim's father nodded, "Oh, yes, yes. Good boy, Sam Uley is. Horrible man his father was. Never did anything right; only selfish deeds." Jared nodded, "Yes, sir." "Oh, please, Jared, call me Tim. Sir and Mr. Chetco make me feel old."

Jared chuckled, "Whatever you say, si…I mean, Tim." "Kimmy, dear, you've hardly eaten anything. Are you feeling well?" Anne Chetco asked. "Yes, mom, I'm just not that hungry." "Are you sure?" Jared's concerned face turned to her. She smiled, "Yeah. I had a big lunch."

Jared's face smoothed out as he smiled, "It's probably those school lunches. You never really want to know what's in that 'mystery meat special'."

Kim's father laughed, "They still serving those. Heck, they served those when I and Kimmy's mother went there. Do you remember that, darling? We met when you tripped over Sally Equines backpack and your 'mystery meat special' flew over to my table and fell right on my head! Now that's what you call a cute meet."

After that dinner was pretty much uneventful, they talked about school and hobbies and thankfully didn't go near memory lane and embarrassing moments.

Kim and Jared were standing on the front porch after dinner and packing up Jared's homework, "Kim, don't forget to tell your parents thank you again for dinner." Kim just shook her head, "Trust me. You were a breath of fresh air to our usual banter and casual conversation. I'm pretty sure they're planning a new way to get you to come to dinner again at this very moment."

"Hey, anytime. My house never really has family dinners. It was nice." Kim bit her lip again and looked down, "Yeah, well, um…" She stopped when she felt Jared's finger brush her bottom lip and her teeth released it. She looked up when she felt that same finger travel under her chin to move her gaze to his.

"You know it's kind of cute when you bite your lip like that." Kim's face burned but she didn't look away from his gaze; not even when his face started moving towards her.

This is what she wanted for forever, but _was he just using her for a grade or a joke? It isn't like Jared but really how much does she know about the real Jared other than what she has observed over the years?_

Before his lips touched hers, Kim took a step back and look up at Jared's confused face, "May…Maybe we should be friends. You know….friends?" Jared's face looked wounded and Kim regretted instantly what she said but before she could take it back Jared spoke, "Is that what you want?" She nodded and he gave her a sincere smile, "Than that's what we'll be…friends."

She took a deep breath. Her friends would kill her if they found out that Jared Hudson almost kissed her and she said they should be friends. But she had to know if he was completely sincere and really wanted to be with her, more than just a curious fling.

"Well than, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at lunch?" "Uh…no….well, yes…but you'll see me in Spanish first."

"I will? Where do you sit?" Kim shrugged, "Right in front of you and Paul. I'm also right across the room from you in World History." Jared's face was pained, "Oh….Kim….I'm so sorry I never noticed. I'm such an idiot and completely…how long have you known me?"

Jared's face showed Kim that she really didn't want to answer that question, but he did need to know. "Well, uh, we've been in classes with each other since seventh grade." Jared winced and gave her an apologetic look, "I really am sorry, Kim. I'm a complete total…" "Stop, really it's fine. I'm invisible to most everybody, unless they are my friend's or, well, making fun of me."

Jared turned angry in an instant, "Who is mean to you? What did you ever do to them?" "Well, I think I just existed. And really, it's no one you know." "You're lying to me Kim Chetco…who is it? Please, tell me."

"Well, no one really makes fun of me except, well, Paul. But really it's nothing it's been going on since seventh grade. I've gotten used to it."

Jared didn't seem to be listening, "I'll kill him. You should never have had to have gotten used to it. Paul's an ass and it's about time he starts thinking of more than just himself." "Jared, really it's nothing. Besides, he's one of your best friends. He's like a brother to you. I really think you'd regret killing him."

Jared seemed to calm down, "Still, he is defiantly going to get a stern talking to from me." "You sound like my father. Plus, do you really think Paul will listen?" "Oh, I'm going to make sure he listens to me, Kim. I promise you that." Kim rolled her eyes and smiled up at his tall figure, "Whatever you say. You best be getting home; it's late. I'll see you tomorrow at school. Okay?" Jared nodded and bounded off her steps.

Kim thought of something and turned around, "Wait, Jared!" He turned from the middle of her small yard, "Don't you need a ride home or to school to get your car?" "Don't worry about it. It's only a short walk from here." "Are you sure? I've been hearing rumors about some big bears roaming around this area lately." She heard Jared chuckle, "Yes, I'm sure. Sweet dreams, Kim."

And with that she smiled and turned and walked into her house, knowing that great dreams were sure to follow her tonight.

**I am soooooooooo sorry that I haven't updated in like FOREVER. But I have midterms coming up that I'm freaked about and my mother's wedding and her fiancé's family moving in and….well it's stressful. The only reason you are getting this is because I finished it in my free time today and I have no school tomorrow. Well I hope you like it, and I'm always open for suggestions. Like, what do you want to see in their lunch scene and how should her friends react to Jared hanging around….Please leave reviews….i live off them I really do.**

**-ladys3194**


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